Flags and coat of arms of the Sovereign Order of Malta
| State flag of the Sovereign Order of Malta | |
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| Vexillological symbol : |
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| Aspect ratio: | 1: 2 |
| Officially accepted: | late 13th century |
| Flag of religious work | |
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| Vexillological symbol : |
?
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| Aspect ratio: | 1: 2 |
| Officially accepted: | early 14th century |
| Standard of the Grand Master | |
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| Vexillological symbol : | |
| Aspect ratio: | 1: 1 |
| Officially accepted: | |
The Sovereign Order of Malta is represented by two flags. This is laid down in Article 6 of the Constitution of the Order. One shows a white Latin cross on a red field and, as the state flag, represents the political sovereignty of the order. The other shows a white eight-pointed Maltese cross on a red field and, as the flag of the order's work, represents the humanitarian and medical services of the order. Both flags were already used in the Middle Ages .
Flags
State flag
The design of the national flag, red with a white Latin cross, goes back to the costume of the Knights and Hospitallers during the Crusades . In a papal bull from 1259, Alexander IV stipulated that this design should be worn on the cloaks of knights. Thereafter the emblem was used as a general symbol for the order. In the period after the Hospitallers moved to Cyprus in 1291, it was shown on ships of the Order Navy. Today the flag flies at the two headquarters of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Rome , the Palazzo di Malta and the Villa del Priorato di Malta , as well as at other official residences and embassies. Together with the flag of Malta , the order flag flies at Fort St. Angelo in Vittoriosa , Malta . The flag accompanies the Grand Master of the Order of Malta and members of the Sovereign Council of the Order of Malta on official visits.
Flag of religious work
The flag of the Order's work shows a Maltese Cross, which became the final symbol of the Hospitallers under Grand Master Foulques de Villaret , who headed the Order during the conquest of Rhodes . This flag is used by Grand Priories, Subpriorities and National Associations. As a symbol of humanitarian services, the flag flies at hospitals and medical facilities of the Order. It is sometimes referred to as the "Grand Master's Flag" but is not used as a standard .
Standard of the Grand Master
The Grand Master's standard has a red background with a white Maltese cross, surrounded by the chain of orders and surmounted by a crown. It blows at the magistral palaces when the Grand Master is there.
The Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta in Prague uses both variants of the flag
The flag of Malta and the national flag at Fort St. Angelo in Vittoriosa , Malta
coat of arms
The coat of arms of the order shows a white Latin cross on a red oval field surrounded by a rosary , overlaid by an eight-pointed cross , depicted under a princely coat of arms and surmounted by a crown .
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Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g flags . Sovereign Knight and Hospital Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and Malta. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
- ^ Constitutional Charter of the Sovereign Military Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta . Sovereign Knight and Hospital Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and Malta. 1998. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
- ^ After Two Centuries, the Order Of Malta Flag Flies Over Fort St. Angelo, Beside the Maltese Flag . Sovereign Knight and Hospital Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and Malta. Archived from the original on October 20, 2013. Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
- ↑ Sovereign Order of Malta - Grand Master of the Order of Malta . Flags of the World . 1999-2006. Retrieved July 19, 2015.
